Smart meter’s top-down agenda

• In the technetronic society, the trend seems to be toward aggregating the individual support of millions of unorganized citizens, who are easily within the reach of magnetic and attractive personalities, and effectively exploiting the latest communication techniques to manipulate emotions and control reason. – Zbigniew Brzezinski, Between Two Ages: America’s Role in the Technetronic Era (1970).

When Barack Obama was just a toddler, Zbigniew Brzezinski was envisioning the day of making just such a technetronic “smart” society.

Fast-forward to 2012 and what we’re seeing is a so-called “smart” grid being forced upon an unwilling, but awakening population. This issue is unfolding with great grassroots notoriety here, as part of BC Hydro’s “smart metering” program, and unfurled simultaneously around the world.

If the people of BC and around the world allow the installation of the smart grid, democracy will fall. Tens of thousands of people in BC alone, and millions globally, are waking up to the deceit of this global agenda.

BC Hydro has recently recalled 1,000 smart meters due to their not functioning. Hundreds of thousands of BC citizens have now received Hydro bills anywhere from 30 to 1000 percent higher, following smart meter installation – increases with no real justification. It now appears possible that none of these meters measure accurately. One scenario will be a complete recall of smart meters across the province, if public outcry continues to grow.

According to BC Hydro’s figures, our cost of each smart meter in BC is approximately $555. In Quebec, where citizens now officially have a free opt-out option, the cost is $263.16 – less than half our amount. In Ontario, it is $232.56. In many US states, the cost is less than $200 per meter, including in Idaho, where no meters transmit wirelessly.

BC hydro awarded a multi-million dollar contract for smart meter installation to US multi-national giant Corix. David Emerson joined CAI (private equity) in 2008 as a senior advisor, with Corix in its “portfolio.” This is the same David Emerson who defected in 2006 to Stephen Harper’s government from the Liberals (previously Minister of Foreign Affairs) to become Minister of International Trade. Follow the dots. Would this be a conflict of interest? Emerson was executive chair of BC Transmissions Corp, chair of the BC premier’s advisory council, co-chair of the Alberta premier’s council, co-chair of the prime minister’s advisory committee. In the BC government, Emerson was the Deputy Minister of Finance, Deputy Minister to the Premier, and President of the British Columbia Trade Development Corporation. Emerson privately was CEO of Canfor Corporation, CEO of Vancouver International Airport Authority and Chairman of Canadian Western Bank. He is either extremely talented or well appointed.

In March’s Wired magazine, current CIA director David Patraeus admitted governments plan to spy on citizens through their “smart” appliances and we’ll be forced to re-think “our notions of identity and secrecy… Items of interest will be located, identified, monitored, and remotely controlled through technologies such as radio-frequency identification, sensor networks, tiny embedded servers, and energy harvesters – all connected to the next-generation internet using abundant, low-cost and high-power computing.”

Via the US Freedom of Information Act, researcher Angel De Fazio obtained documentation showing a $298 million grant for smart meter deployment in Nevada. One funding source was the “US Armed Forces Research and Development Projects.” The US has acknowledged its research programs around microwave radio frequency radiation and its effects on the human body and mind.

In a California lawsuit, Pacific Gas & Electric had to supply information on how frequently each smart meter transmits wirelessly. The average meter pulses 14,000 times per day, each for 4.5 milliseconds – every six seconds. Some meters pulse up to 190,000 times per day, or twice per second. Utility companies are fond of using a cumulative total (i.e.“60 seconds per day”) rather than admitting the constant emissions. These totals do not include the emissions from each wireless “smart” appliance the grid will require of us in the future, creating a veritable soup of electromagnetic radiation that the WHO calls a “class 2B potential carcinogen.”

Health concerns have led the American Academy of Environmental Medicine and the Austrian Medical Association to publicly call the immediate ban of the smart metering program.

Most smart meters in BC are not yet actively transmitting; most meters are still being read manually, which means we still have time to recall the entire smart metering program in BC.

BC Hydro has stated, “We will not force you to have a smart meter.” However, it has failed to inform us we have a choice. An estimated 30,000 British Columbians have, on their own accord, notified Hydro of their non-consent (though Hydro’s public figures may still be lower) and installation has been delayed for most. Mail BC Hydro your letter of non-consent. See the templates at CitizensForSafeTechnology.org. If a smart meter has already been forced on you, you can demand to have it replaced.

14 comments

"BC hydro awarded a multi-million dollar contract for smart meter installation to US multi-national giant Co"
Get your facts straight… Corix is based in Vancouver, owned by BCIMC and CAI and the employees. CAI shareholders come from all over…… Corix is considered to be the best installers in the industry. You are just copying facts from all over the place. FAIL

Mr. Canuck sounds a bit testy. You know mistaking who owns Corix is no where as big a deal as people serving as lab animals for a poorly conceived technology which causes people pain and has never proven its worth. I personally know people who have not been able to live with the 24/7 pulsed rf coming from smart meters installed on their home. They have welcomed the chance to opt out so they can go on with their lives. You know many people will pay to avoid added pain in California even though it is extortionary. It works for gangsters, why not utilities?

Regardless who owns the installation company, who owns stock in the manufacturer, or whose pockets have gotten well-lined because of this 'project' – here is the bottom line:
We live in a Democracy. The Government works FOR the people – they are elected to do OUR bidding. There is absolutely no way any government has the right to foist this 'lab experiment' on any Canadian citizen, and any Canadian worth their salt will stand up for their rights. Bullies be damned! It's way past time we started to push back on these so-called 'officials'.
If you want the real story on why this government wants to force these smart meters on us, do some research – follow the money – you will easily see whose pockets got lined … just follow the dots and it will all become clear to you.

Well said, they are our servants and we pay their wages (taxpayers money) ! How dare they, to decide for us. They must listen or leave their seats. That's why it is of utmost omportance to stick together on this one. Power is ith the people. Do not lose your "Democracy" the right to have a voice. .

What Democracy? We do not have government of Canada but “Harper’s government”! and this is big difference and this is it. Power, money,lies….they can killing us when they like..slowly but killing. And they started. Millions of people in Canada are living with smart meters beside their heads, they do not worry, they are not scary, they are not thinking..about their health, about their life, about their children!

"Corix is the best installer" ? Check craigs listing for qualification required for corix installers. Not a word about electrical experience only grade 12 required and driver license. Sounds like one of the reasons for all the smart meter fires maybe.Multi Million? try 1 billion of taxpayers money taken without consent or request. Next..

Josh, I have a real problem with the expression to ask "B.C.Hydro" for an opt-out. As long as we ask for, they hold the power . It should be rather. We demend an "opt-out or moratorium " untill all has been proven to be safe. This should be done by outside expertise rather then B.C.Hydro itself, who will only protect their own interest. It is shameful to even hear the expression asking for an opt-out etc.

Don’t forget people in condos and apartments in this opt out. If only one person requests it in a shared building you still would have a bank of meters running.
I think stop smart meters site (California) posted recently on this issue.

Well the people who live in condos and apartments, have a real opportunity to make changes. First of all they are already bundled together and how easy to get a vote. There are places in the U.S. of A , where they have been criminalized. Also there are areas who are “Smart Meter Free Zones”. For Smart meters to be criminalized, they must have come to the conclusion that they are actually dangerous.
This should be enough reason to get out and fight this contraption.
For any appliance or other we cannot operate it without a seal of approval or other requirements. THIS GOES THE SAME FOR THE SMART METERS. LEGAL ACTION AT THIS TIME IS MORE THAN APPROPRIATE THEY (HYDRO) HAS SIMPLY GONE TOO FAR.

Pentictonites wanting to opt out of the city’s smart meter program for electrical and water consumption will be paying less than half what was originally proposed by city staff.

This matter was last before council at the May 7 meeting, when council adopted a policy allowing residents to **opt out** of having an AMR (Smart Meter) meter for either their electrical, water or both.